


All that I've known, buildings of stone (fall to the ground without a sound)

by this_evergreen_soul



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s01e23 Sacrifice, F/M, Tommy Merlyn is Alive, Undertaking, because i will literally take any chance for a universe in which tommy lives, i'm just a sucker for angst really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-12-30
Packaged: 2018-04-09 10:21:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4344785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/this_evergreen_soul/pseuds/this_evergreen_soul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“This whole area is Ground Zero. I want you out of here.” </p><p>“If you’re not leaving I’m not leaving.”</p><p>Sort-of AU in which Felicity doesn't realize the danger she's in when she chooses to stay at Verdant to help disarm Merlyn's device.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! So this is my first fic... There aren't many fics that I've read that take place during The Undertaking/directly after it. (If you know of any though please send them my way I will love you forever) I love exploring a scenario where Felicity is actually in real danger in the Foundry and she's alone down there and how terrifying that must be. Mostly I just love angst and this is me projecting that ;)

 

Shaking.

 

It’s all Felicity could feel and she couldn’t tell if the shaking was coming from the tremors in the ground or the trembling in her hands quickly spreading to the rest of her body. _Maybe a little of both_ , she thought as she tried to steady her breathing.

Oliver was off fighting for his life, hopefully with Digg by his side, and here she was in a basement in the Glades in the middle of a man-made _earthquake_.

****

_“This whole area is Ground Zero. I want you out of here.”_

_**** _

_“If you’re not leaving I’m not leaving.”_

****

Felicity tried to recall the determination she felt as she said those words to Oliver, but that was long gone. The only thing she could focus on was the flickering of the lights and _oh god_ she was feeling a lot like booking it up those stairs and never looking back.

****

_No,_ she told herself. _You made the right choice. Starling City needs you here._

****

_Oliver needs you here._

****

And it was true. She had already talked Lance through disarming one device, and she couldn’t deny that they had already helped save hundreds of lives. But she would maybe feel a little bit better about that if she hadn’t heard Malcolm divulge something none of them had expected...

 

There was a second device.

****

Fighting back the tears as she heard the distant sounds of destruction coming from above her, she tried to focus on finding out if Oliver was okay and how she could help. She pressed her comm to her ear and called his name, silently reveling in the sound of his voice as he asked if she was okay.

****

“Yeah,” _if you count terrified and alone and quite possibly on my way to being buried alive as okay_ \-- she shut that thought down as quickly as it came. She had to be strong for Oliver. She could do that. Yet even as she thought the words, it took everything in her not to beg him to come back.

****

“The damage seems to be contained on the east side,” and Felicity knew exactly what his response would be as she finished the sentence, “...past Wells Street.”

****

“ _Laurel_.”

****

She knew it was coming and yet it still hit her harder than she thought it would. Even after months of working side by side, Gorgeous Laurel still remained his top priority. As she thought that, she felt horrible for how selfish she was being. Not only was he needed there (great now she was thinking of Laurel trapped under a burning building or something and felt even worse), but it’s where his heart wanted to be. With the woman he loved. She was terrified, sure, but in any immediate danger? Her mind quickly supplied a no, but the ever-increasing shaking around her was making her reconsider.

****

Distantly she heard a loud crash that jolted her back to her senses. _Okay that’s it._ _I think if I stayed here any longer it would officially turn from stupidly brave to just plain stupid_. She hurriedly reached for her phone, tablet, and purse and had a second to think _Oh God-- is my car even still intact?_ before she heard a commotion coming from the other side of her earpiece that had her turning back to her desk.

****

Oliver.

****

And was that… Tommy she heard with him? Was he… crying? Why was he at CNRI? Was he injured? Was Oliver injured? What happened to Laurel? Her mind was racing with questions but it didn’t stop her from overhearing one of the most heartbreaking conversations she would bet had ever taken place between the two billionaires. She didn’t even pause to consider how much of a violation of his privacy this was.

****

Over the past few months, she had become a little too familiar with all the intricacies of Oliver Queen’s life. Their partnership was an unusual one. For them, lines had been blurred and crossed so much-- nothing was too sacred, especially when it came to the other’s safety.

****

She stood there wide-eyed at her computer as if staring hard enough could let her actually see what was happening. She just had to make sure that he got out alright. That they both did. She knew how important Tommy was to Oliver. Losing him had the potential to damage him -- maybe beyond repair. She had even met Tommy a few brief times, and even from those short encounters she knew he had this light about him... a light that she knew Oliver needed. Sure things between them had been strained since Tommy found out Oliver’s identity, but that’s exactly why Oliver couldn’t lose him now. There was so much that needed to be resolved between them -- Oliver deserved that much.

****

All of a sudden she heard more voices on the other side, it sounded vaguely like Laurel sobbing and Detective Lance barking orders for an ambulance. She didn’t even realize she was holding her breath until she let out a huge puff of relief. Oliver had gotten Tommy out. She couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying right now but realized it was probably both. Tommy would be fine, he had to be--

****

Felicity’s celebration was short-lived as she turned at the sound of a beam falling immediately to her right, realizing the very real danger she was in. She had been so caught up in making sure Oliver was okay, as if he needed her watching over him (like some sort of twisted guardian angel when he could very obviously take care of himself), that it took the world literally crumbling around her to break her out of her reverie.

****

That’s when the terror kicked in. Her breathing quickened as she took sight of the damage that lay around her. Had she really been so consumed in her worry for Oliver that she failed to notice that Verdant was quickly turning to rubble? If she didn’t hurry she really would be buried alive and god if that thought didn’t just make her knees weak and cause her to trip and fall right there.

****

She eyed the stairs dubiously, they were half off the wall and she wasn’t sure if she could actually make it all the way up. She could try to find a safe corner to hide out here in the Foundry until the aftershocks ran their course, but what if the damage was so extensive she couldn’t make her way out? As she stood there deliberating, the dust grew thicker and she half coughed and half screamed as a slab of concrete fell on her desk cracking one of her computer screens.

****

Yeah, definitely risk it with the stairs.

****

She barely dodged a light crashing to the floor, but it did cause her to lose her balance enough to trip and fall right onto a large chunk of debris. It slammed into her shoulder and hurt like hell but she got right back up because she had to get out, she was so close, she had to find Digg, she had to make sure Oliver was alright, she had to--

 

All of a sudden an entire section of the ceiling rained down and Felicity couldn’t dodge it all so she put her arms above her head as she tried to keep moving toward the stairs. But the weight slammed over her and caused her to fall, knocking her head on one of the tables near the exit. ****

 

The last thing she saw was Oliver’s work desk crumpled under the weight of a concrete block -- and then the world went black. 

 ****  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the next part :) I have been so SO blown away by everyone's response to this story, thank you so much for all the comments/kudos!! I love talking to people about what I write, or just Arrow in general, so thanks for that. I hope you're not disappointed with this next part, because it was definitely a little bit tougher to get out, but it's also longer so let me know what you think :)

* * *

 

Oliver burst through the doors of Starling General and immediately flagged down a nurse to find out where Tommy was being treated. He cursed himself for taking so long to get here, but the streets were practically a war zone out there and he couldn’t very well waltz into the hospital lobby as The Hood. The fight with Merlyn had really taken a toll on his body, and the gash in his shoulder had made it nearly impossible for him to change out of his leather.

It didn’t look any better in the hospital than it did outside. Oliver silently observed the chaos - the eye in a storm of confusion and desperation. Nurses were wheeling injured people frantically down the halls as the waiting room continued to flood with those whose wounds were less severe, leaving them with the misfortune of being forced to tough it out for the time being. 

He felt the guilt creeping up on him but quickly shook it off and focused on finding out about Tommy. Thankfully one nurse took pity on him and told him what he needed to know before she rushed off to help another nurse with a particularly battered looking patient. Oliver barely spared them a glance before practically running to the East Wing to see if his best friend was really okay.

Tommy was still breathing when he got him out of CNRI, but it looked.. really bad, and while Oliver watched Tommy struggle to stay conscious he couldn’t help but be afraid that he would look back on this moment as yet another time he found himself responsible for letting someone he loved die. His father was one thing, but Tommy was completely innocent in all this and there was no way Oliver could live with himself if he didn’t make it.

_“Open your eyes, Tommy… open your eyes!”_

Clenching his fists, Oliver recalled the pain he felt in that moment when he really, truly thought he’d lost Tommy. He was right back there in CNRI watching Tommy struggle to simply keep breathing, it was so—

“Ollie!”

His head shot up, Laurel’s voice snapping him out of his dark thoughts -- he hadn't even realized he’d stopped walking -- and as she ran up to him he saw her face and immediately panicked. She was crying. Tears of grief? Or relief? 

Laurel saw the question in the fear on his face and gave him a weak, reassuring smile in response. It was all he needed to ease at least a fraction of the tension currently constricting his body. He knew his eyes were begging for her to answer his unspoken question, since his mouth wasn't brave enough to find the words to ask.

“He’s pretty bad… there was a piece of rebar that pierced his shoulder but thankfully it didn’t puncture anything vital. He has lost a lot of blood, though. And his leg was crushed pretty badly when he was lying underneath the rubble, so we can’t be sure what the real damage is until he wakes up..” She turned, as she said this, looking through the window at Tommy’s bed.

“The doctors say that when he does he definitely needs to stay on bed rest for a while, but they’re at least optimistic he’ll wake up sometime soon.”

The relief Oliver felt in that moment was almost palpable. In the back of his mind he noted all the injuries and potential problems Tommy would be forced to face when he woke up, but right now he had no room for any emotion other than sheer gratitude that his best friend was  _alive_.

Laurel laughed a little bit because she understood his relief, and he's sure it's nice to finally share some good news with someone after the night they've all had. She started to turn to go back into Tommy's room but seemed to remember something as she stopped short and looked at Oliver questioningly. “They said he’s allowed a visitor but only one for right now, did you..?” She motions inside and Oliver almost panics.

“Oh no, please,” he nodded at Tommy through the window, “I’m sure he would want you in there.” He took a step back. _Especially with the way he and I left things_ , Oliver thought to himself.

Laurel seemed to understand the unsaid words because her eyes grew a little wide and he’s sure she was remembering the night they shared just 2 days ago. It seems like a whole other life, and now that he really thinks about it, Oliver wonders if that whole rendezvous hadn’t been a mistake.

He knows Laurel thinks so too because as she glanced back through the glass her eyes softened, and in that moment Oliver knew that what she feels for Tommy is ten times greater than anything she feels, or has ever felt, for himself.

Laurel looked at him and offered a small smile and a thanks before walking back inside and positioning her chair as close to Tommy’s bed as possible. She grabbed his hand and just kind of closed her eyes, and Oliver knew she was silently thanking whoever’s up there for the life that still runs through Tommy’s veins.   

Oliver tore his eyes away from two of his oldest friends and moved to sit on one of the chairs in the hallway. Leaning forward with his forearms on his knees, head practically in his hands, Oliver took a deep breath for what felt like the first time since he pulled his bike up to CNRI thinking Laurel was inside. He’s so used to constantly being on alert for the next bad thing to happen, but now that Tommy was safe, he allowed a little bit of the strain to leave his body.

Sitting up, Oliver spotted a med cart a few feet away and knew he should get his own wound taken care of... but given the amount of nurses that kept frantically rushing past him he was pretty sure they must have had their hands full at the moment.     

Hoping they’re too busy to give a damn, Oliver quickly swiped a roll of bandage and some antibiotics off the cart and headed to the bathroom. Regardless of how busy the hospital was right now, he doubted the gaping arrow hole in his shoulder would go unnoticed for much longer. Once in the restroom he stripped off his shirt and made quick work of dressing his wound. It hurt like hell, but Oliver and pain have long since come to an understanding. Looking at the blood that still seeped through, he knew he should probably stitch it up, but the haphazard bandage would have to do for now.  

Facing the mirror, Oliver took in the dirt and dried blood on his face and neck ( _Malcolm’s? Tommy’s? his own? he honestly couldn’t tell_ ) which contrasted with his spotless clothes. Anyone with half a brain would question his appearance, but everyone was too wrapped up in their own trauma that they couldn't be bothered to notice. At least that gave him one less thing to worry about. 

Looking at himself, he couldn't help but return to CNRI and the image of a nearly-dead Tommy laying in front of him. Remembering the words they both said... Tommy really thought he was going to die in there, and up until just a few minutes ago Oliver had too.

He saw a flash of a life without Tommy Merlyn, his best friend practically since birth. He saw a glimpses of his funeral, of his tombstone. Oliver knew Tommy had been forced to stand before his own grave back when everyone believed he was dead, but Oliver didn’t know if he could ever be strong enough to do the same.  

Oliver exited the restroom and went back to look at Tommy through the window. He’d already been told that Tommy will be fine, but Oliver has learned from experience to never accept anything without proof. Watching Tommy’s chest rise and fall with deep breaths assured him more than Laurel or the doctor’s words ever could.

Laurel was quietly talking to Tommy now, and she looked so torn. Oliver wondered if she was apologizing for what happened between the two of them. Or the three of them, really. It was probably easier to tell Tommy like this, when he couldn't look back at you with betrayal in his eyes.

Oliver knew that look all too well.

But as he watched Laurel’s tearful expression, Oliver knew she really was sorry. Sorry for ever ruining the relationship between her and Tommy, all for a guy who had never been able to treat her half as well as Tommy had.

Oliver thought the island had finally brought out the man Laurel always saw, by scraping away all the parts he wasn’t. He thought that he would finally be worthy of her love. But what if in scraping away who he wasn’t, the island also scraped away the boy who was in love with Laurel Lance? Because those parts were one and the same?

Since coming back, he and Laurel had been as messy as ever, and he thought it had been because of his alter ego. Because of his separate life as The Hood. But what if it wasn’t? What if the reason they didn’t work, had never worked really, (his countless infidelities leading up to him bringing her _sister_ with him on the Gambit proved as much) was because of Oliver Queen?

He had spent so much of his time during the 5 years away wishing he could come back to Laurel, but… was it because he actually loved her? Or because he felt guilty? Or because he simply missed home and she was one of his strongest ties to Starling?

Oliver felt like he was finally seeing everything clearly for the first time, and _then_ he felt like an idiot for not knowing sooner. Laurel was important to him, of course, she’d been a huge part of his life for as long as he could remember. But real love was fighting for someone and trying to make them happy, even if that meant letting them go. It meant risking your life because you _know_ every bone in your body has been created to keep that person safe.

Tommy’s the one who ran after Laurel tonight at CNRI. Tommy wasn't trained for this, he didn't have 5 years of experience on a not-so-deserted island, fighting everyday to survive. But he went after her anyway. He did it knowing he could _die_ , but he couldn’t let her get hurt without doing everything he possibly could to stop it.

Tommy and Laurel brought out the best in each other, and if there was one good thing that came out of his 5 years away, it’s this. It’s them finding each other.

Taking a step back from the window, Oliver let his shoulders relax allowed some of the hope he had been so adamantly blocking out to flood into his veins. Because even if Tommy was still angry at him and blamed him for the lies, Oliver knew that he couldn't push Laurel away for that long. They belong together, and they make each other happy. And knowing that by saving Tommy’s life tonight he could give them both that… well, Oliver felt a small sense of accomplishment.

Allowing himself a small smile, Oliver entertained the idea that maybe things would be okay after all. He’d wrecked so many things by being gone, and so many _more_ things since coming back that it felt good to make this one thing right.

Distantly, Oliver heard someone shout his name from down the hallway and immediately turned to the voice.

_Diggle?_

“Oliver!” Digg strode up to him with a little less vigor than usual. “There you are man, I’ve been looking for you— I figured this is where you’d be.” Diggle nodded to Tommy and Laurel through the window.

Oliver knew that the fight with Merlyn left Diggle pretty beat up. He must have rushed here straight away to get his injuries treated before the hospital got swamped with people. Digg was more than capable of taking care of himself but Oliver still felt a little guilty that he hadn’t even spared him a thought since what happened with Tommy.

Body stiffening, Oliver realized that his mind had been so one-tracked since CNRI that he really _hadn’t_ thought about anyone else.

Suddenly it's like the gates spring open and everyone came flooding back to him all at once. His mother was taken into custody, his sister was hopefully safe at the mansion, but what about...

“--heard from Felicity?”

Oliver breaks out of his thoughts and looks right at Digg. _What did he say about Felicity?_

“Heard from her? No, the last time I talked to her—” Oliver paused at this... the last time he talked to her she had still been in the basement of his nightclub in the _Glades_  in the middle of a goddamn earthquake telling him to go save Laurel.

Oliver felt like he was going to be sick.

“The last time I talked to her was when she told me about the damage at CNRI. Why? Did she call you? Is she okay?”

Clearly those were not the words Diggle was expecting to hear because the expression on his face darkened in response. “No, man, I tried calling her but there was no answer.”

Oliver was starting to lose any semblance of calm he felt. Felicity _always_ answers her phone.

“I’m starting to get worried. It’s bad out there-- gangsters are running crazy... the streets are a mess... half the city is in shambles." Digg was practically running a hole in the ground with his pacing at this point. "She shouldn’t be by herself.”

Oliver was trying not to panic but the idea of Felicity out there _alone_ in this chaos made him want to hop on his bike right now and go find her.

He was already halfway down the hallway before answering Digg. “I’m going to look for her. I’m sure she’s fine, probably lost her phone or something in this mess. She’s smart. I’m sure she’s okay.”

Oliver didn’t know who he was trying to convince but as he said the words he knew there was some truth. Felicity was the smartest person he knew. He just hoped that would be enough to keep her safe in all this.

Digg was in no condition to leave the hospital, but Oliver knew it was killing him to not be able to come along.

“I’ll stay here and watch over Tommy." Oliver nodded his agreement, knowing there was no one he trusted more. They were almost to the elevator when Digg grabbed Oliver by the shoulder and looked at him with one of the gravest expressions he'd ever seen on the soldier.

"You better find our girl, Oliver.”

Quashing down images of a bloody Felicity, lying in the streets, mugged or struck by a car, Oliver opted for the stairs and was out the front doors of the hospital in record time.

Pulling on his helmet he prayed she was somewhere safe, her biggest problem trying to figure out a way to reach him and Digg to let them know that she was okay and they were worrying over nothing.

Just a few short minutes ago Oliver had been practically overwhelmed with relief that his best friend would live through tonight. He was so used to people he cared about being hurt, that the one good thing to happen had foolishly made him think they would all come out of this tragedy unscathed.

Revving the engine of his motorcycle, Oliver raced toward Verdant, trying to stay calm for Felicity and failing. He decided that if she didn't answer her phone again he would try her comm. Maybe she still had it on her.

Driving past the destruction in his streets, worried for one of the people who never should have even been in this situation in the first place -- just like that, all the relief he felt over Tommy was replaced by his concern for Felicity.  

_I should’ve known it's never that easy._

__

* * *

 

It’s the pain that finally wakes her, and also what lets her know she's not dead. _Though I kind of wish I was if it means the horrible ache in my head would go away.._

Felicity tried opening her eyes and immediately began to panic.

It was pitch black.

She’s never had a huge problem with the dark before, but when said darkness includes the ruins of an empty nightclub basement in the middle of the Glades with stray wires, debris, and jagged chunks of concrete most likely blocking any kind of exit thereby making her officially stuck here for the foreseeable future—well, she definitely has a problem with it now.

Felicity’s head is pounding so she shuts her eyes and tries to breathe through the pain but instead of air, there’s a cloud of dust being sucked down her throat causing her to erupt into a fit of coughing that rattles her battered body.

The already-pretty-awful-pain she felt when she woke up suddenly intensifies into an agony that Felicity has never experienced before, and she knows immediately that breathing was a very, very bad idea. Felicity tries to calm her body enough to take stock of her injuries but she can barely think through all the hurt. Tears are streaming from her eyes and she’s trying to keep the sobs in but she can’t she can’t, it hurts to breathe, to move, to think, everything just _hurts_.

She knows she should be stronger than this, she _is_ stronger than this, but it doesn’t exactly feel that way right now so she gives herself a few well-deserved moments to wallow in the hopelessness of her situation.

She vaguely remembers knocking her head on the table she’s currently lying under, which would explain why her brain feels like it’s sloshing around in her skull. _Probably... no definitely a concussion there. Good going, Smoak._ And _why_ is there a searing pain in her left leg? Wiggling it a little bit she instantly regrets her decision when the pain is amplified and she makes a sound somewhere between a sob and a scream. There's a block of concrete currently crushing her leg making it impossible for her to move. Not that she's really in any condition to be going anywhere at the moment.  

Trying not to move her head too much (because _ow),_ Felicity tries to figure out what's around her, although it's kind of pointless since she can't see anything. But she feels really claustrophobic for some reason and realizes it's because the table she fell under is also under a huge chunk of ceiling which caused it to cave in and is basically pinning her to the ground. Even if her leg weren't being squashed, she'd still be stuck under this table and wow that thought makes her very panicky all of a sudden. She's basically lying in her own grave right now and _oh no, no no no, think about something else, Felicity, focus on anything else._

She lifts a shaky hand to her face and feels something wet. At first she thinks it’s just the tears, _which are totally justified_ , she thinks, but it feels too sticky to be water…

_Oh god that’s blood. I’m bleeding. From my head. I’m bleeding from a head injury, and my body feels like it’s been run over by a truck--scratch that, FIVE trucks-- and I highly doubt anyone is coming for me. It really can't get any worse than this._

She’ll probably die in here, surrounded by rubble and buried in the one place in the whole world she felt safest. What kind of sick irony is that?

_I bet Oliver would be able to find his way out of this._

At the thought of Oliver the pain suddenly moves to the back of her mind and she perks up because... there might be hope. He would come for her, right? He wouldn’t just leave her here to slowly suffocate and die?

But then Felicity remembers how he ran after Laurel and is probably with her right now. Of course she’s his top priority. Who knows how long it’ll be until someone comes looking for her in the wreck… days, maybe? She won’t last that long.

She doesn’t even know if she’ll last through the next couple of hours.

Oliver and Digg will remember to check in with her, you know, eventually. But who knows when that will be? And can she really blame them for focusing on their family at a time like this? Over the past few months they've fallen into a pretty great dynamic and she's slowly developed a trust and affection for them that's stronger than anything she's felt in a while. They’re a team, sure, but when something like this happens you want to be with the people you love most.

The club wasn’t even open at the time of the quake, so even if someone were to pass by they would probably assume it was empty. Why would someone think to look in the basement where _no one_ was supposed to be? The only people who know where she is are most likely dealing with their own trauma. Digg was injured, he should be getting himself patched up and he’s probably crazy worried about Carly and AJ, and Oliver has a whole army of people to worry about.

She doesn’t blame them, of course, because really they only met a few short months ago, so how can she expect them to put her above their own _families_?

Yet illogical as it may seem, it still hurts. All she wanted was someone to put her first. For someone to worry about her, to care enough to save her from this disaster.

She’s never been the damsel-type, but being near death really tends to make a person distressed.

The tears are falling harder now and not even the pain can keep the sobs at bay. Felicity can’t see a way out of this mess and she’s so close to just giving up. She didn’t think it was possible to feel any worse than when she first woke up, but of course her brain is great at proving her wrong. The fear is practically eating her alive, and she’s just so _alone_.

That’s the worst part.

Being by herself. She’s lived her whole life no stranger to loneliness, but when she joined Oliver’s crusade she’d thought maybe she found somewhere she finally fit in. She thought she’d found people who could make her forget that loneliness.

Yet here she is, trapped and bleeding and injured and alone, and there doesn’t seem to be any solution or way out.

Her leg is getting numb now and even though that means the pain is a little less excruciating, Felicity knows it can’t mean anything good. If there’s permanent damage.. who knows if she’ll even be able to use that leg again?  _That is if I ever even make it out of here… I’m not gonna need a leg if I’m dead._

It’s getting harder and harder to keep her thoughts from becoming so dark, but the reality of the situation is--

_Wait. Where is that sound coming from?_

Felicity hears a crackling kind of static coming from… underneath her? It sounds almost like her comm link, but.. incredibly muffled?

 ****_Oh my god, my comm! Is someone trying to reach me? Oh god where is it oh god please help me someone--_

Felicity stomps down the feeling of hope because she knows it has the power to truly break her if she lets it. She tries to shuffle her body around to reach the comm from under her hip and ignores the searing pain that shoots through her body because if there’s some way for her to get out of here...

_“...ease answer me. Felicity! Are you there?”_

_Oliver!_  

What Felicity thought was just a piece of rock lodged into her side was actually her earpiece and Oliver is trying to reach her. He didn’t forget about her, he’s looking for her, he’s--

_“Can you hear me Felicity?! Please, answer me!”_

He sounds like he’s sick with worry but in this moment she thinks that his voice may be the most beautiful sound she’s ever heard. She almost sobs in relief, her breath hitching, but immediately stops herself, remembering how badly that turned out last time.

She must have made some kind of noise though, because Oliver is suddenly yelling now.

_“Felicity! Is that you? Where are you?! Are you hurt?”_

She painfully nudges the comm closer to her face and tries to speak into it, but it feels like someone poured gravel down her throat making it so that she can barely wheeze out an answer.

She coughs into the comm and knows he hears her because he shouts something else on the other side, but she just focuses on giving him an answer, anything that will help him find her before it’s too late.

Even whispering is practically unbearable at this point but Felicity won’t let herself give up when she’s so close to being found.

“Ol..ver…..dant.” A violent fit of coughs racks her body once more. Her chest feels like someone dumped a pile of rocks on it.

“..so scared, please help me.” Her voice is weak and raspy, but Felicity's terrified, she just wants to make it out of this alive. 

She hears his engine grow even louder in the background, and she knows he’s going dangerously fast right now. She wants to tell him not to be stupid and get himself killed on his way to save her, but she can’t feel anything past the fear, the pain, and the sliver of hope growing in her veins.

_“I’m only a few blocks away, Felicity. I’m coming for you. Just hold on.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologizing if anyone wanted Oliver to find her in this chap, that was my original plan but the hospital parts really got away from me. It's so challenging to write Oliver's POV, and I tried to do it justice, and be as realistic as possible about dealing with his feelings for Laurel. Next chapter is for sure the rescue, so hopefully everyone is satisfied :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I just want to apologize profusely to all of you!! I started this story towards the end of the summer and didn't anticipate how busy everything would be. I ended my internship, went to Europe, and now I'm a month into my senior year of college so things haven't really slowed down for me... BUT continuing this story has always been at the back of my mind. I love it, I want to finish it, and I'm so appreciative of the people who are into this story as well. All your kudos and comments have been the best motivation. We're finally at the big rescue! This was a tough one, which is partly why it took so long to get out. 
> 
> My goal was to have this out by the time of the premiere (technically I still win), but I'm still not entirely happy with the chapter. Hopefully you guys will like it though. Enjoy it, and enjoy the season 4 premiere tonight!!! :)

 

* * *

 

As Oliver rounded another corner almost grazing a building in his carelessness, he could barely contain his worry for Felicity. He had been so relieved when she finally answered him back but it was quickly overridden by the fact that she sounded like she could barely breathe. Everything she said was punctuated by coughs and wheezing. If she was still in Verdant that must mean the damage was worse than they originally thought and she was trapped down there.

Thinking back to when he hung up just a few moments ago, Felicity’s voice had been so weak and gritty... she hadn’t sounded like herself at all.

After what felt like hours on his bike, Oliver finally turned onto the block where the nightclub was held and the shock of what he saw made him almost lose control of the Ducati.

Verdant had completely collapsed.

The previously bright green neon sign had crashed to the ground and broken in half. The entire roof had caved in. The club itself… everything was rubble.

And Felicity was underneath all of it.

Oliver hopped off his back quickly only half hearing the sound of it crashing to the ground in his haste. Digg was already dialed on his phone and he waited with bated breath for his friend and bodyguard to pick up.

“Digg, she’s-- she’s here at Verdant. But the place.. it’s a mess. Complete rubble. I need to get her out!”

“ _Woah, Oliver, slow down man. Are you sure she’s down there? Did you talk to her?_ ”

“Yeah I did, I used the comm. Digg she’s _down there_ and I need to get her out!” Both of them realized his voice was taking on the tone reserved solely for his times under the hood, but Oliver couldn't help it. “Can you call Lance? I’m gonna need help and the way she sounded… she’ll need an ambulance for sure.”

“ _Oliver, how exactly do you plan on getting her out? If she is down there…_ ” Digg’s voice grew quiet and shaky at this. “ _If she’s down there, you can’t get her out by yourself. If I remember correctly you shoved an arrow through your chest not even 4 hours ago. Your body won’t be able to handle that kind of strain!_ ”

 “You’re not _listening to me_!” Oliver knew Digg wanted Felicity safe and was only trying to look out for him, but his worry and frustration was turning into anger now as he climbed over the mess toward the back entrance that led to the Foundry. “She’s already been down there long enough Digg. I’m not waiting. I got Tommy out of CNRI, I can get Felicity out of Verdant. Call Lance. I’ll let you know when we’re out.”

Oliver didn’t bother waiting for a response before hanging up. He knew Diggle wouldn’t fight him on this. He got to the door and didn’t even need to enter the code, it was almost completely separated from its hinges and practically toppled over as soon as he touched it. But when Oliver made a move to go down the stairs, his foot met nothing but air. It was pitch black and he couldn’t see anything past the immediate entryway.

Thankfully the open door let in a smattering of light, but nowhere near enough for Oliver to clearly see what he was walking into. Even with his heightened senses, he knew this was going to be tough. But the thought of Felicity alone in that darkness urged him on and Oliver tried to figure out a way to get down there without the stairs. He didn’t even consider that he had no clue how he would get out afterwards, but he had already spent too long trying to find her, he couldn’t waste anymore time. He wouldn’t.

 

\---

 

After the comm with Oliver cut off, Felicity could slowly feel all the fear creeping back. Of course she felt better knowing Oliver was only minutes away, but knowing help is on the way does very little to assuage the feeling of helplessness waiting for that help to come.

_Just breathe, Felicity. Focus on that until Oliver gets here._

It was hard. To suppress the feelings of fear and focus on being calm is something that would be a lot easier if she didn’t also happen to be in an _excessive_ amount of pain.

She tried to forget the table currently caging her in, the slab of concrete pinning down her leg, and the thick, dusty air filling her nostrils. While Felicity was busy practicing the breathing exercises she learned in that one yoga class she took sophomore year of college (which she’s sure were _not_ meant to be done while simultaneously choking on rubble and dust from being practically buried underground), a loud crash startled her from her senses. It sounded like the door to the foundry falling off its hinges and was immediately followed by muffled curses that sounded like..

_Oliver! Oh thank god, he’s here, he came, I’m going to be okay, I’m--_

“Felicity!”

Oliver was yelling from the top of the stairs and she wondered why he wasn’t already barreling down them to come get her out of this mess when suddenly she started coughing again-- probably the worst fit so far if the burning coming from her chest was any indication.

She tried to answer him, but couldn’t even manage to stop coughing longer than a few seconds. Felicity hoped that was all the response he needed to know she was down here, and figured it was when she heard Oliver start to speak again as his voice sounded like it was growing closer.  

“Listen, Felicity, I need you to try not to take such deep breaths. It’ll only irritate what’s in your chest, so just try to keep them shallow for now until I can get you some fresh air.” He was doing a good job of masking the concern in his voice, but Felicity still heard it.

“I’m climbing down to get you out of there, but the stairs separated due to the earthquake so it’s a little rougher than I was anticipating.” Oliver was clearly channeling his vigilante persona at this point, trying to keep a clear head and state the facts, and she loved him for it. Focusing on his voice was helping her drown out the pain in her body and made her forget how hard it was to breathe.

Felicity was worried for him, though. She knows he can’t be in any kind of condition to be climbing through whatever war zone this basement had turned into... not after his fight with The Dark Archer.

Then again, this was Oliver. Thinking back to the many missions they’d completed together, Felicity knows Oliver is a master at tuning out his own body’s pain in order to get the job done. Especially if that job includes protecting someone he really cares about. Which she is. Someone he cares about. At least.. she thinks so?

God, she hopes so.

But she also doesn’t want to be the reason he injures himself even more, maybe past the point of recovery. She would never forgive herself if Oliver got hurt trying to save her -- or worse. The club is literally a death trap right now, there’s no way it’s stable. For him to be climbing right into the belly of the beast, so to speak, well it’s pretty much insane in his condition.

Felicity can hear Oliver getting closer, even in the dark he has little difficulty climbing over and dodging the debris -- probably skills he acquired on the island if she’s honest. His grunts of pain (although she can tell he’s trying to mask them) are adding to the guilt she feels, however, and she’s opening her mouth to speak before she thinks better of it.

“Wait, Oliver--” _God, why did I think talking would be a good idea right now_  -- her throat was drier than the air in Vegas, but she couldn’t be responsible for his family losing him, not again.

Oliver actually stopped moving toward her when she started speaking, but picked up the pace once the coughing started. “Felicity, don’t try to speak, please. Just wait until we’re outside.” He was right in front of where was pinned down at this point.

“No!” She was still coughing but she had to get this out. The light that was coming in from the door helped her see a little more clearly, but she still couldn’t see anything past the table covering right in front of her face. “Listen, maybe you should just--” she took a shallow breath in order to keep the coughing at bay, “...just leave me here.” At this, she could feel Oliver start to protest but spoke over him. How that happened in her state, she didn’t know.

“Oliver! You’re in no condition to dig me out of here, especially after battling Merlyn.” Felicity couldn’t help the tears now, even though she knew crying would only make this worse. Her throat hurt so much.  

“I can’t be responsible for you getting hurt even more, or _worse_. What if we don’t even make it out of here, and it was all for nothing. I’m not worth it, Oliver..” As her voice trailed off she wasn’t sure if he could even hear her last few words. Her voice was so hoarse from all the dust in her throat and her tears made it difficult to speak at a volume louder than a whisper.

Felicity wished she could see his face right now, at least one more time. Was it only minutes ago she was feeling hopeful that she would make it out of here? She had no idea what she was thinking.

Oliver didn’t say anything but she felt something being pushed off the table above her and heard a huge grunt of exertion as a large boulder rolled off. And another one. Then another.

The table pinning Felicity down leaned to the side once the weight had been distributed by Oliver. It gave her a little wiggle room at least to move her head and that’s when Oliver bent down, appearing right in front of her face. Felicity blinked quickly in confusion and realized he was leaning down and pushing the table up to keep it from squishing her. She was about to question his actions but held back when she saw the look of steel in his eyes.

“Felicity.” _He looks almost.. angry. But at what? Me?_

“Don’t for a _second_ think that you’re not worth saving. We’re a team, okay? And you’re here in this mess _because of me._ ” Oliver’s voice was low but his words were unflinching. Felicity couldn’t look away from his eyes, she couldn’t breathe in the intensity of it all.

“So if you think I’m just going to leave you here to die -- alone, after you just helped save thousands of lives? Felicity, you’re not half as smart as I thought you were.” He stopped to take in a deep breath.

“I almost lost Tommy tonight… I’m not gonna lose you too.”

Felicity had to blink away the tears that were threatening to surface - _God, Smoak, what is that, like the fifth time you’ve cried tonight?_ \- but she couldn’t help the warmth that was flooding her insides at Oliver’s words. Tonight had been hands down one of the worst of her life, and she’d been through some pretty terrible things in her 24 years on this earth. But Oliver just told her that she was important to him, maybe even as important to him as he was to her. Regardless of the depressing situation she was currently in, she couldn’t help the elation that sprung up at his words. Because if you asked Felicity Smoak what she wanted most in this world, it would simply be to matter. She wanted to make a difference, to impact someone’s life in the most positive way. And if Oliver’s words were any indication... she was well on her way to accomplishing that.

Her voice was small when she responded, and although Oliver probably assumed it was from the pain in her throat, it was mostly due the emotions he spurred in her during his mini-speech.

“Okay,” Felicity replied, which seemed to help Oliver breathe easier as a small amount of tension left his body. As he looked to rid the rocks from on top of the table she was under, he had a new determination in his eyes. Felicity knew from experience how hard it was to help someone who didn’t want to be helped. Although she felt gratified that Oliver decided she was worth saving, she still felt guilty about putting him in this situation -- _which, yeah I guess is a little hypocritical of me with the whole “quit it with the guilt-complex, Queen” but honestly, so much easier said than done_ \-- so she wanted to make this as easy on him as possible.

This wasn’t something he could quickly fix. She was stuck under a considerable amount of rubble, which would take some time to dig her out of. Time was not something that Felicity particularly felt any fondness towards at the moment… the longer she waited the more concerned she grew for her injuries. Her head was really starting to pound and while she could breathe somewhat better as Oliver removed the weight from above her, she knew she needed medical attention-- fast. She knew it and Oliver knew it.

If she could just stay calm throughout this whole thing, and not totally freak out at the fact that she was _still_ practically buried alive and in ten different kinds of pain right now, maybe she could help Oliver stay calm too.

His face was pinched in concentration and his body tensed in exertion as he tried pushing another boulder from the alarmingly large pile above her.

“Tell me a story, Oliver,” Felicity’s voice rasped out, seeming louder than it actually was in the silent ruins of the nightclub’s basement.

She really needed something to focus on other than the pressure currently weighing her body down and the pain that was only becoming worse as time went on. If she passed out, there was no way Oliver could get them both out of here by himself. And focusing on what she should not be focusing on was really making this whole situation exceptionally worse by the second. She needed to think of something -- _anything_ \-- else.

Oliver’s face registered a mixture of surprise and confusion at first, but his eyes quickly softened in understanding. She could see him trying to rack his brains for something suitable in the face of their grave situation, and it’s actually kind of sad how hard he had to try to find a happy story to tell her. 

“Did I ever tell you about the first time I got drunk?” Oliver immediately looks younger and a little bit mischievous at this which is not a reaction Felicity would expect given the question he just asked so she’s immediately intrigued.

“I was 13 years old,” he pauses and gives Felicity a small smile as he watches her eyes widen, because --  _Wow, talk about getting a head start,_ then the smile fades as he quickly moves to push more rocks off of her. Felicity decides to withhold her judgment considering she did grow up in Las Vegas and has definitely heard worse.

“It was with Tommy, actually. After his mom died… Tommy spent a lot of time with my family. We practically adopted him. It sucked that something so cool came out of an awful situation. I loved having Tommy around, especially because being a Queen can be pretty lonely,” his sentence is punctuated by a grunt and the feeling of more weight being relieved off of Felicity. “...but I knew he missed her more than anything.”

“It had been a few years since her death, but the anniversary always made Tommy so upset. So I thought _fuck it._ I went to my dad’s liquor cabinet and stole a bottle of scotch I saw him drink frequently. Adults seemed to drink whenever they were feeling stressed and needed to feel better, so I figured Tommy and I should give it a shot.” He chuckles a bit at his juvenile way of thinking, but Felicity can only smile at hearing how good a friend Oliver was, how concerned he was for Tommy, willing to do anything to take away his pain.

“So me and Tommy drank the _whole_ thing. At first we didn’t understand what the big deal was -- the stuff tasted god-awful and it _burned_ … but out of nowhere it hit us hard. We took turns taking swigs from the bottle and Tommy is laughing his face off at who knows what -- and I thought, wow this stuff really works. No wonder adults never put it down. One second we’re laughing about how Thea broke into Mom’s makeup set and smeared half her face with red lipstick and the next we were out like rocks. In the morning I woke up to the sound of Tommy puking in the bathroom and the worst headache of my life.”

By this point the only thing on top of her was the table and that was being lifted off of her _finally_. Felicity could already feel her breath flowing more easily and the feeling of claustrophobia was no longer clouding her senses. Oliver was looking down at her with relief now that he could see her whole self, and she couldn’t help but reply to his story. She wanted Oliver to know how much she appreciated him sharing a piece of his past with her.

“Well, sounds like a great way to bond with your brother. Nothing fosters a relationship more than nursing a hangover together,” how she was still able to find humor in her current state was beyond them both, “...Tommy was lucky to have you as his family after losing his own.”

Oliver had no idea how Felicity could literally be laying under a pile of concrete with enough injuries to make someone pass out and still be able to offer him comfort and make him feel… human. She really was remarkable. Felicity’s selflessness is something that will never cease to amaze him.

“Okay well, maybe you visit him in the hospital and tell him that since I’m about to get you out of here--” Oliver was reaching down to try and pick her up when he realized she was still being pinned down by a huge slab of rock on her leg.

It was massive….how was it possible that she was able to endure that kind of pain?

Felicity saw Oliver eyeing her leg and realized she had almost forgotten the rock was there. She’d been so still as to not aggravate it or cause the numbness to be chased away by the pain, but she knew they had to move it if she was going to get out of there.

“Right, my leg. That’s gonna be a tough one.” Felicity was already cringing in thought of how badly this was going to hurt. “Just uh-- just roll it over really fast. Maybe it’s like the whole rip the band-aid thing,” her voice wheezed.

“Felicity, I don’t think--” Oliver kept looking from her face to the rock and by the look of it, Felicity knew this was gonna hurt like a bitch.

“Just. Do it, Oliver.” He looked angry at himself for what he was about to do, but even angrier that he’d already taken so long in getting her out, so Oliver bent down and with the kind of grunt she’d only ever heard over the comms before, he lifted the rock and flipped it over so it was no longer crushing her left leg.

Felicity might have paused for a second to question why she found that whole thing from Oliver actually _really_ sexy, and  _oh my god Smoak do not go there_ , when suddenly the worst pain she’d ever felt flared up in her leg and caused her to let out some kind of animalistic shriek.

“Felicity!--” Oliver’s eyes were panicked as he bent back down to try to soothe her, hands hovering but not touching in fear of causing even more pain. But she didn’t register any of it.

She’d been trying so hard to stay still to keep her injuries from being aggravated but Felicity’s entire body curled in on itself trying as if trying to block out the pain, when in reality the movement was only making it worse.

Felicity was finding it hard to breathe again and it was like she could suddenly feel all the bruises and cuts on her body as if they were fresh. Her head was pounding so hard that her eyes were scrunched shut as if that would make it better.

 ..licity. Please! Breathe. I need you to breathe for me, okay. I know it hurts, _I know_ \--” the sound of Oliver’s pained voice broke through her senses and Felicity realized she hadn’t been pulling any breath into her body. She tried, for him, and as she attempted to let the air go all that came out was a shuddering sob.

“Oliver, I can’t--” she was practically heaving now and the pain just wouldn’t go _away_. Felicity thought she might honestly pass out from it all when she felt Oliver’s hand on her head pushing back her hair and unknowingly smearing some of the blood there.

“Thea came home crying one day. Me and Tommy were in high school at this point, busy with girls and parties and other dumb things, but we always made time for Thea.” Oliver was talking again. Trying to give her something to focus on as she came down from the hysteria. His voice still held a sense of urgency and his words were so quick they practically tumbled out of him as if he wasn’t sure it would work, but he tried to exude an air of calmness for her to feed off of. Felicity was confused at first but when she realized what he was doing, she did her best to focus on the timbre of his voice and the way his warm hand cradled her head.

“She said that.. that one of the girls at school told her our dad didn’t love her.” Felicity kept her eyes on him as well as she could in the dark basement. “That he worked so often, traveled so much, and it was because he didn’t want to be home to spend time with her. I never knew 8 year olds could be so cruel… but, Thea was heartbroken. She actually believed it. So when me and Tommy found her locked in her room after school one day crying her little eyes out, we were immediately on high alert. Thea was a little ball of sunshine, it took a lot to bring her down, even at that age. So when she told us what the girl said to her, Tommy and I looked at each other and just knew without even having to say anything.”

“I told her ‘ _Speedy, don’t listen to your dumb classmates. Mom and Dad love you more than anything. I know it’s hard because they’re away so often, but they’re working hard so they can make sure we have everything we need to be happy._ ’ I knew my parents weren’t always around, but I believed they truly loved me and Thea. Tommy chimed in too… he said ‘ _Yeah and even if they’re not around, we are. We’re not going anywhere. So if you ever miss them too much, come find me and Ollie. We’re your big brothers, and we love you -- so don’t let anyone ever tell you different._ ’ After that Thea somehow coerced us into ditching our dates to hang out with her and watch some old Disney movies. But me and Tommy loved it. We loved being there for her. And even after I disappeared to the island, I knew I wouldn’t have to worry too much about Thea, because she would have Tommy to watch over her.”

The warmth from Oliver’s words as he got lost in his memory had a way of calming Felicity down. And it seemed to do the same for him. Hearing about the love he had for his family made Felicity incredibly happy and a little bit envious at the same time. She wished she’d had someone growing up she felt that close to. Who would watch over and protect her like Oliver did his sister. But if Tommy found his way into being a part of Oliver’s family… maybe she could too. Family wasn’t about only sharing blood, it’s the people who support you and care for you. Which Oliver was doing for her right now.

Thankfully Felicity no longer felt like passing out, but she knew it would be extremely tough getting the both of them past all the rubble and up the stairs.  Oliver was looking down at her with a look of concentration, which meant he was definitely trying to figure out a way to do this as easily and painlessly as possible.

“Okay, Felicity, I’m going to be honest with you, this is gonna hurt. A lot. But you need to stay awake until we’re out of here, okay? Promise me?” Oliver was looking at her intently while trying to help her sit up, it was all she could do to nod and respond with a quiet, “Promise. 

He turned around so his back was to her and Felicity raised her eyebrows even though he couldn’t see. As he wrapped her arms around his neck carefully, she asked, “Oliver… are you seriously going to piggyback me out of here?” It was hard to tell that her tone was incredulous from the pathetic way she rasped out the words, but she had to admit she did not see this coming.

Oliver merely stood slowly, so as to not jostle her leg, which she appreciated. “Felicity, as much as I’d love to just sweep you into my arms and carry you out of here, I’m gonna need full use of them for this… you’ll see why.” Felicity was pretty sure she didn’t hear him right, was he _flirting_? Right now, underneath the ruins of their super-secret-vigilante-base in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake? Maybe the concussion was messing with her head more than she thought, and _Gah! how am I even capable of blushing at a time like this?_

“Just-- hold on to me tight.” As he started moving toward the exit Felicity saw a flash of the two of them in the Merlyn Global elevator just a few short days ago and would have continued wondering whether or not Oliver had said those words intentionally,  _because, yeah, still not the circumstances I was thinking of_ but once he began climbing over the various debris in their way, she couldn’t focus on anything but trying not to scream out in pain. Her leg was _killing_ her.

Felicity couldn’t even imagine the sight they made. Her, bruised and bloody and dirty, both arms and one good leg wrapped around his torso while the other hung limp, him climbing over rocks and _really pointy_ shards of metal scattered across the lair. Once they reached the bottom of -- well, where the stairs _should_ be, Felicity was barely hanging on to his neck. All her energy, what little there was anyway, was focused on breathing to block out the pain radiating throughout her entire body. Which was really a shame because on any other day, Felicity would be a huge fan of their current position.

Oliver stopped to rest his muscles for a moment before bracing himself and turning his head to the side to speak to her. “This is gonna be tough, but once we get up there, we can get you the medical attention you need, okay?” Felicity was starting to feel woozy at this point, all the movement wasn’t good for her head, and her leg was literally throbbing.

“Felicity. Whatever you do, _don’t let go_.”

She barely had a second to process Oliver’s words before he was.. _parkouring up the wall of the lair?!_ Oliver was quickly climbing up chunks of the pillars that fell against the wall, and then pushed off the remaining metal from the stairs. She felt extremely off-balance, the movement was too much, but she held on as tight as she could. There was no way Oliver could catch her without falling himself. As they neared the top they heard an ambulance and someone shouting their names.

“Queen! Miss Smoak!” 

Oliver had to pull the both of them over the ledge and she could tell it was extremely difficult because of his shoulder. She tried to make herself as small as possible, she didn’t want to drag him down, when suddenly she felt someone grab her shoulders and pull her forward.

She rolled onto the ground gasping for air and vaguely saw Oliver climb over the ledge and crawl over to her. Her sight was blurry at this point and every part of her body flooded with an ache so deep she could feel it in her bones. She tried to take deeper breaths because the air had never tasted so sweet and clean as it did right now, but someone was grabbing her face and trying to speak to her.

Detective Lance was above her saying something… it sounded like..  _stay awake?_ She suddenly realized how tired she was. All the adrenaline her body had depended on to get her out of that hell-hole vanished and she was left feeling _exhausted_.

Lance had turned to the EMTs making their way over with a gurney, but she wanted to see Oliver again. He was on her right side, petting back her hair with a worried look in his eyes. The red lights of the ambulance were reflecting off his dirty face and she could see his mouth forming the syllables of her name but everything sounded so muffled to her ears.

Her leg still hurt like _hell_ , especially when someone tried picking her up which she tried to protest but her eyes had slipped shut and her mouth wouldn’t open.

Suddenly someone had a tight hold on her hand and the last thing Felicity heard before blacking out for the second time in as many hours was something that sounded vaguely like Oliver’s voice and the words _hold on_.   

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, I had the hardest time writing this chapter, but I hope it's satisfying for you guys! Also while writing the part where Oliver and Felicity climb out of the lair, I was literally picturing his parkour scene from 1x03. Luckily, this was the toughest part for me to write, and I already have 75% of chapter 4 written. I'm still trying to map out where this story is going, but it won't be too long. Just a few chapters more, at most. I'll try to update within the next 2 weeks. Thanks again <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't apologize enough for how long this took. But this past month was a rough one. And this chapter as well, I can't seem to feel satisfied with it no matter what I do, so I decided to stop procrastinating and just post it. I had to address some much needed Tommy/Oliver stuff in this chapter (though I wouldn't say their issues are 100% resolved...) so their relationship is a little bit strained but definitely on the road to recovery. Not as much Olicity interaction in this chapter seeing as Felicity is unconscious for most of it.. lmao but I'll definitely be making that up to you. Also, good news! I finally have an idea where this story is going plot-wise SO that's a relief. But if you have any ideas/suggestions I'm always open to hear what everyone thinks :)
> 
> And again thank you all so much for your support, it means the world to me.

* * *

 

When Tommy wakes up, it’s all bright white lights and a distinctly clinical smelling odor that surrounds him. Weird. The last thing he remembers is being trapped under the rubble of a crumbling CNRI with Oliver— or The Hood, rather— crouched over him begging him to hold on.

The image causes a pain to swell up in his shoulder and his hand hovers over the injury he thought was going to kill him. But as his eyes adjust to the light, Tommy realizes that he’s lying in a hospital bed... and he’s not alone either. To his left Oliver is sitting next to the only other bed in the room which is currently holding a small (very battered) blonde woman.

A woman who looked eerily like the quirky IT girl who’d been frequenting Verdant as of late always claiming to be fixing Oliver’s wifi. He’d talked to her once or twice. She was nice enough, and he found it funny how her mouth never seemed to stop moving. What was her name again? ...something Smoak. Felicity?

Oliver’s so wrapped up in the girl next to him that he hasn’t even noticed Tommy’s woken up yet. Tommy _feels_ like he should feel a little insulted because if the pain in his body is anything to go by, he was pretty damn close to dying under that building. But he’s here in this room which means he obviously didn’t. Something due in very large part to Oliver… which makes Tommy extremely confused.

It was only on the brink of death looking into the face of his best friend that Tommy was able to admit what he couldn’t to himself for...months.

He was jealous of Oliver.

He was angry at him for all the killing and hurting people, of course. Something that he would have to talk to him about now that he was very much alive. But what kept Tommy bitter and angry for months was the idea that Oliver didn’t trust him with his secret. When he asked him to his _face_ if he would have ever told him about being The Hood... Oliver’s blunt ‘no’ cut Tommy right to his core. It was in that moment that he realized Oliver Queen had changed. The thought had never occurred to Tommy before -- not when he saw the weirdly buff, closed-off island survivor for the first time after 5 years thinking he was _dead_ , not even when he found out he spent his nights chasing after Starling’s elite. But when Oliver admitted to hiding something from his so-called best friend and likely _never_ telling him… that’s when Tommy knew this wasn’t the same Ollie he’d grown up with.  

Oliver had been his best friend for as long as he could remember, and they’d _always_ been honest with each other. No secrets, no lies. Until now.

For some strange reason that was the one thing Tommy’s brain just couldn’t come to terms with. Learning that Oliver spent his free time dressing up in green leather and running across rooftops was nothing compared to the idea that Oliver could lie to him. That sense of betrayal only intensified when he realized it was only a matter of time before Laurel found out Oliver’s secret identity and realized she was still in love with him. Tommy had no intentions of staying around only to watch her leave him in the dust.

It still hurt to think about what he saw standing outside Laurel’s apartment just a few days ago, but almost dying made a person really prioritize. No matter how much Oliver had hurt him, he’d saved his _life_ and had been there when it mattered most.

Tommy didn’t want to die with his best friend thinking he hated him… even with all the mistakes he had made, Oliver never deserved that.

Which left Tommy feeling so confused and conflicted because he was definitely still angry -- but he was also grateful. And missed his best friend like hell. But there was the whole shooting people with arrows thing which really—

“Tommy?” Oliver’s shocked voice broke through his thoughts and Tommy realized he’d been so lost in his own head that he’d missed Oliver noticing that he was awake.

“Yeah, last time I checked..” _God is that my voice?_ Tommy couldn’t hold back his wince when he heard the weak, raspy sounding words coming out of his mouth, he’d clearly been out for a while.

“How are you feeling?” Oliver asked, leaning his body toward Tommy’s side of the room but making no move leave his position to come sit beside him. Interesting. Tommy couldn’t tell if his hesitance was due to the uncertain nature of their friendship at the moment or if he didn’t want to remove himself from the blonde’s side. “Very much alive, thanks to you,” and actually now that Tommy was looking more closely, Oliver looked… _awful_.

“But it looks like you’re the one who almost got crushed by the crumbling building of a law firm.” Tommy gestured to Oliver’s appearance and winced again at the movement, “What happened to you?” He wonders how long Oliver’s been sitting in that seat — hours, at least. He’s still got dirt all over his face and clothes, he looks exhausted, and his eyes are wrinkled in concern for the girl who looks like she’s been through about as much hell as Tommy himself has. “And what’s her story?” Tommy nods to where Felicity (he’s 99% sure that’s her name at this point) is lying, still unconscious.

He watches Oliver’s body tense and knows he definitely hit a sore spot. Oliver’s features immediately harden and his voice is lower than it was just a minute ago. “Head trauma, 3 fractured ribs, a dislocated shoulder, left leg is fractured, and countless contusions all over her body.” Tommy couldn’t help the whistle that leaves his mouth in a huff and the way his eyebrows rise in disbelief, because she really _has_ been through about as much hell as himself.

“What the hell _happened_? What was she even—”

“She was trapped under the club, Tommy. Felicity was working for— _with_ me to help stop the device.” Oliver was clearly trying to keep his voice low and his face calm, but Tommy could see the cracks threatening to reveal how emotional he really was. “But she didn’t count on the damage being so extensive, so she ended up trapped in the basement.”

Tommy’s first thought was why on _earth_ Ollie would let this tiny blonde thing ever get involved with his super-secret super _dangerous_ activities, but his friend wasn’t even looking his way anymore. He was just staring at Felicity’s small hand next to his own on the bed. Tommy could practically feel the guilt radiating off of Oliver’s body and he knew he already blamed himself for this.

And there’s that confusing feeling again. Tommy wants to be angry with Oliver for bringing Felicity into this when she clearly almost _died_ , but Tommy also knows that Oliver was the one to go down into that basement and save her… just like he did for himself earlier that evening.

All these conflicting feelings are making his head hurt and he just needs time to process things and later on finally have a long talk with Oliver about everything.

The arrows, the hood, the underground lair, all of it.

But right now Tommy really just wanted to take his friend’s mind off the girl next to him and wipe that dark look from his eyes... so he told himself his next question was purely unselfish and not because he was dying to know the answer.

Tommy let out a long breath and decided to just jump right in. “So… have you seen Laurel? Is she okay?”

Oliver turned back to Tommy and thankfully no longer looked as closed off as he had moments before. Although he did still look a little bit uncomfortable, from the physical strain on his body or the subject matter, Tommy couldn’t tell.

“She’s perfectly fine, physically. You got her out of there right in time,” Tommy couldn’t help but feel momentary relief and a little bit of pride that he was able to be her hero for once. “But she’s worried sick over you Tommy. She’s been here all night and the only reason she actually left your side was because her father had to literally drag her out of here and force her to go home, shower, and take a short nap before she collapsed from exhaustion. Before that she hadn’t left since you were brought in.”

Hearing how much Laurel cared eased Tommy’s hurt very briefly, but then he remembered that even though he may have accidentally confessed he loved her when they were both in danger of dying, they were still broken up and she was (most likely) still in love with Oliver. He tried to be mad at Oliver for that, but he was just so tired of being jealous and angry. At this point all he could feel was resignation.

As if Oliver could hear his thoughts, he pressed on, his voice growing louder, “Did you hear me Tommy? She was here. For hours. For _you_. Not me or anyone else.” That got Tommy’s attention. And even though Tommy just told himself he was done being angry, he couldn’t stop the bitter retort from leaving his mouth, “Well that’s just great. It takes me almost dying for Laurel to start caring. But two days ago she couldn’t jump into bed with you fast enough.”  

Oliver’s eyes filled with guilt for a quick second, and Tommy felt bad, but not bad enough. Then a split second later Oliver’s eyes were overcome with a different kind of determination, as if he had realized something and needed Tommy to realize it too.

“Tommy, that’s not fair. Laurel has _always_ cared about you. And yes okay, we slept together, but she was hurting and confused after _you_ pushed her away and I—” Oliver paused here and looked him straight in the face to make sure Tommy knew he was being sincere with his next words, “— _I made a mistake._ ”

The anger on Tommy’s face melted into confusion as he tried to process what Oliver was saying. Was he implying that.. he wasn’t in love with Laurel? ...Or that she wasn’t in love with him? Or both? Tommy wasn’t sure what to think and Oliver could clearly see that he was trying to work through it, but he needed to make sure he was absolutely clear. He wasn’t going to stand in the way of his friends’ happiness any longer.

“I know we hurt you, Tommy, and I can never apologize enough for that. But I want you to know that Laurel and I? We’re done. I’ll always care about her Tommy, she’s been too large a part of my life for so long for me _not_ to. But something I think we both realized is that we’ve changed. I came back expecting to find the girl I left 5 years ago, and she expected me to come back the same Ollie who left. But that’s not her, and that’s definitely not me.” He let out a big breath here, because Tommy needed to _understand_. “But you’ve changed too, Tommy. The difference is that who you are now, and who Laurel is? Those are the two people that should be together.” As he kept speaking, Oliver knew his words were true, and Tommy needed to know it too. “I know you’re mad at the both of us, but just know that she loves you, and I know you love her.”

Tommy just stared at his friend, feeling something like hope bubble up in his chest, but also fear. Oliver and Laurel had always been like a rubber band — no matter how far apart things pulled them, they always found a way to snap back together. Was this just another one of those times? Sure, they’d all changed… but had that?

But Oliver seemed so earnest and Tommy knew that no matter what kind of person Oliver turned into, no matter what he hid from him, he would always be there for Tommy. Always protect him. He did it after his mom died, after his dead left and when he came back. Maybe this was him trying to do that again.

Tommy was still skeptical, and he needed to talk to Laurel, but his body was still recovering from physical trauma and all these emotions barreling at him were definitely not helping. Oliver could see that Tommy needed to really digest everything he’d said, so he decided to give him an out.

“Hey, you’ve been out for a while.. you hungry? I could get Digg to get us some food or maybe some coffee if you want.”

A groan to the left of them brought their attention to the blonde on the bed next to Oliver. “Ughh— God _why_ do I feel like I just got run over by 12 consecutive pickup trucks whose drivers have some kind of vendetta against blonde hackers…” Oliver watched Felicity squint her eyes against the brightness of the room and turn her head toward his, “...did someone say coffee?”

Oliver knew Felicity’s words were a lot more garbled than usual and her voice sounded like it hadn’t been used for days...but he felt like he’d never heard anything more amazing. She was trying to move her body to sit up and he knew the grimace that crossed her face meant her body was nowhere near healed but he was just happy to see her _awake_.

“Felicity…” He hadn’t realized how intensely worried he’d been for her until she was finally right there conscious, breathing, responding.

And when Oliver finally registered her words he could no longer keep the smile off his face because _of course_ only Felicity Smoak would spent 9 hours unconscious after being stuck under the ruins of a nightclub and yet her first thought upon waking would be of coffee.

Felicity glanced at Oliver and even though she was in all kinds of pain, she silently reveled in the way he said her name. He definitely looked worse for wear, though, and she let her eyes move over his body cataloguing anything she could -- she could tell he likely hadn’t left her side since he got her out of Verdant. _How is it that even when he has dirt smeared all over his face he still looks insanely good. What kind of genes—_

“..iver? Ollie. Ollie!” They both jumped at the sound of Tommy’s voice -- Oliver hadn’t realized Tommy had been trying to get his attention because he was too busy staring at.. her. Felicity blushed as she realized they’d basically just been staring at each other from the moment Oliver said her name when she opened her eyes.  _Real subtle, Smoak._

When Oliver looked over at Tommy he was giving him a weird look. It looked lilke a mixture of confusion and amusement. In the end amusement won out and a smirk appeared on Tommy’s face as he spoke, nodding to the door, “You heard the poor girl. Go get her some coffee.”

Oliver looked back at Felicity and even though she was clearly still hurting from the ordeal, she had a small smile on her face like she was trying to hold back her laughter. “And while you’re at it I’ll take one too, you know how I like it buddy. Oh and maybe one of those warm sticky cinnamon buns too, what the hell," Tommy continued, shrugging amicably at the pair in front of him. 

Oliver looked back at Tommy and was torn between annoyance and relief that Tommy was acting like his normal self, so he decided not to push it and take Digg down to the cafeteria to get what Tommy asked for. Felicity was chuckling weakly now and as he looked back over at her he couldn’t help the way the corners of his lips turned up just the slightest bit. She was awake and laughing at him and looking down at her Oliver felt like he could finally breathe.

But Oliver was also reluctant to leave her side so he grabbed her hand and told her he’d be right back and he’d send the nurse in while he was gone. The feel of her cold hands in his made him frown, he really didn’t want to leave, but Felicity looked up at him and gave him a small reassuring smile. She seemed to sense his distress so her smile seemed to say  _Oliver I just survived being almost buried under a manmade earthquake in our secret lair I think I’ll be okay in a hospital room with a hundred doctors and nurses running around._ He nodded as if she’d said it out loud and turned to walk out the door. 15 minutes. He could do this.

\---

It only took him and Digg 12 and a half minutes to get the coffee and snacks. Something Oliver was pretty proud of as they walked back to Tommy and Felicity’s room. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was itching to get back and make sure the nurse looked over her and could confirm that Felicity would be okay.

As if Digg could read his thoughts, he looked over at Oliver and reassured him, “Don’t worry man. She’s tough. She’ll be fine.”

Oliver was about to respond as they stepped out of the elevator, but his phone started ringing and he saw Thea’s name flash on the screen. When he’d texted her earlier making sure she’d avoided the Glades, she said not to worry, that she was with Roy and they were both fine. As much as he didn’t like the kid, he was happy someone was there for his sister right now.

Oliver turned to Digg and handed him the coffee and bag of pastries, “Here, it’s Thea, I need to see how she’s doing,” he ushered him toward the hospital room, “I’ll be right there.” Digg nodded and took off down the hallway leaving Oliver to answer his phone and speak to his sister.

Entering the room, Digg only catches the tail end of the nurse informing Felicity about her injuries and notices Tommy trying not to listen too closely. “..r body has sustained quite the damage, Miss Smoak. But I’m confident you’ll recover most if not all of your previous capabilities. You’ll need to stay off that leg for the time being, however. Bed rest for a few weeks at least. The fractures in your ribs and damage to your respiratory system will also make it hard for you to breathe, so it’s especially important that you not overexert yourself. Other than that, we’ve already reset your shoulder injury and checked on the damage to your head, so if there are any complications make sure to come back in right away. That sound good?”

Felicity didn’t look too happy about the advice, but she nodded anyway. Digg could see her mind already working through ways to get back to her job and _their_ job as soon as she could. If there was one thing Felicity didn’t like it was feeling useless. He wouldn’t press her on it now, though. He was more concerned with any emotional trauma than anything. He knew Felicity hadn’t had any time to really think about what she’d been through, but he had no doubt it had to have been terrifying for her.

When Felicity looked over and saw Digg standing there her face broke out into a big grin. “Digg! My favorite person in the world, how are you doing?” She was eyeing him up and down checking for any physical repercussions from their fight with Merlyn, but out of the three of them, Diggle was definitely the better off.

He smiled at her concern, “Now is that smile because you’re happy to see me or because of the steaming cup of joe I’m holding in my hand?”

Felicity attempted to look affronted but they both knew better, “What? You brought me coffee? I didn’t even notice until you mentioned it, but now that you have,” she made a grabbing motion with her hands and Digg couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh at her antics. She somehow had the most energy out of all of them yet here she was lying in a hospital bed looking like she’d just come out of war.

He saw Merlyn look over at them with a small smile on his face, Digg knew theirs was an unlikely friendship but Tommy didn’t comment on it. “Now Smoak, if I remember correctly, the nurse said something about easing you back onto regular food and liquids? Maybe you should start off with some of that delectable hospital jello?”

Tommy should have been afraid of the glare Felicity shot him but he could only laugh at the sight she made -- sitting in a hospital bed with bruises all over her body yet just about ready to fight him over a cup of coffee. “Oh, stuff it Merlyn. This coming from Mr. I’ll-take-a-nice-yummy-cinnamon-bun loaded with enough sugar to fuel an entire class of first-graders.” At this Digg joined in his laughter and they both watched as Felicity was torn between keeping up her agitated look at Tommy and unadulterated satisfaction at the warm cup of caffeine in her hands.

“Felicity? Are you okay? What happened?” Oliver heard Felicity’s angry voice from right outside the room and was concerned, but as soon as he walked into the middle of a room full of John and Tommy’s laughter his concern quickly faded to confusion.  

Felicity turned to look at Oliver as he entered and her face softened into something like sheepishness, “No everything’s fine. Merlyn has just decided to let me enjoy my much needed and definitely deserved cup of coffee in peace -- if he knows what’s good for him.” At this, she cracked a smile simultaneously charming all the males in the room at once. It was hard not to be attracted to someone like Felicity who emits this constant source of warmth -- and Oliver was well aware how close she and Digg had already gotten, so he wasn’t surprised to see how enamored Tommy had become after being around her less than an hour.

“By the way, Oliver, not that I’m complaining because, hello, I’m totally fine with anywhere as long as they fix me up,” his eyes moved back to Felicity’s, “but why exactly am I sharing a room with Tommy?” She was asking him such an innocent question but all of a sudden Oliver almost looked.. embarrassed? Digg looked over and smirked at him and proceeded to save Oliver from having to respond to Felicity’s inquiry.

“Well, Felicity, funny you should ask, because it was actually quite an ordeal making this happen.” Oliver huffed out loud at that making Tommy laugh and settle into his bed more comfortably because he knew this had to be a good story.

“When the paramedics arrived on the scene to bring you to Starling General, once we got here we were told it was already maxed out past capacity. All the rooms were so full that people were being turned away and transported to nearby hospitals -- and those with serious enough injuries, like yours, were being sent to Central City where their medical staff is just as good.” Oliver’s face darkened as he recalled the fury at not being able to have Felicity treated right away. He moved back to his place by Felicity’s bed feeling like he just needed to be close to her right now after being reminded of what almost happened tonight. Felicity’s face took on a worried expression because she knew Oliver must have been extremely upset after everything he’d gone through to save her.

“Thankfully even though the Queen name is a little bit tarnished at the moment, their money still goes a long way. You guys are in the Queen’s private wing of the hospital right now, so Oliver made sure that you were brought here since there was more than enough room to have you share with Tommy. It was just a matter of not knowing where to put you.”

When Digg said “made sure”, Felicity knew it was more than that. She threw him a look because she knew he hadn’t made it easy on whoever was giving him the hard news. Digg knew exactly what Felicity was thinking and chuckled because Oliver had practically channeled his Hood persona when he yelled at the staff to do whatever possible to make sure Felicity was fine.

Tommy looked back and forth between Felicity and Oliver watching them have some sort of silent conversation with just these weird expressions. Felicity’s seemed to say _you better not have terrorized too many of these hard workers Oliver, they’ve been through enough tonight_ \-- and when Tommy saw the hard look on Oliver’s face he could practically hear him shoot back _And you haven’t? What was I supposed to do just let them ship you off to Central City in your state? Not a chance._ All that came out of his mouth, though, was, “Felicity. I did what I had to do to keep you safe. I’d do it again.”

Felicity seemed to acquiesce at this, because as bad as she felt for causing any kinds of problems, she was extremely grateful to be alive right now and with both her boys by her side. If she’d woken up alone in Central City without anyone there for her… she didn’t know how she’d have reacted.

Tommy decided it was time to do what he was best at and bring some levity to the situation -- if only to get rid of the stony look on Oliver’s face as he relived the past few hours and the glum expression Felicity displayed as she thought about… whatever she was thinking about.

“Well that’s all well and good, Ollie. The more the merrier. Plus, I bet Smoaky here would make a great roommate.”

Felicity glanced up and smiled gratefully over at Tommy. “Oh, I don’t know about that. According to my college roommate I tend to snore when I’ve been up all night cramming for exams and also may mumble in my sleep? As if I don’t talk enough already when I’m awake. But I am extremely neat and can download some good movies for us to watch on my tablet so we don’t get stuck watching those cheesy daytime soap operas they’re always playing on hospital TV’s and--”

“Felicity.” Oliver was looking at her with a kind of… fond expression and his hand was on hers and his body was so close she could feel the body heat radiating off of him pleasantly warming the left side of her body and Felicity didn’t want to let it get to her head. Because yeah they’d both been through some pretty rough things tonight but she had to remember that’s all it was. Emotions running high. He was just happy she was alive and she was _really_ happy he was alive and--

“I don’t know Smoak I don’t think they’re so bad. You’re definitely missing out on some quality stuff. And I mean…” at this Tommy looked around at everyone in the room, “at least the chicks are hot, am I right?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, tough chapter, but hopefully satisfying enough for you all! Working hard to get the next part out as well :) I have Thanksgiving break coming up and then finals are in a few weeks so I'll try to get a good amount finished by then. Thanks for reading!! Please let me know what you think :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow okay so! Sorry again for such a long wait, I really tried to get this done before finals, but that clearly didn't happen haha. My semester ended and then my holidays were crazy... but I had to get this out before New Year's! I'm currently on break so hopefully I can get a lot of writing done, but regardless, I hope you enjoy the next chapter :) Once we're out of the hospital I think you'll like where Olicity ends up next! I'm excited to write their moments and develop their relationship even further. Enjoy!!!

* * *

 

Felicity fell asleep not long after waking up, her body very clearly nowhere near being recovered. She had barely even taken three sips of her coffee, but Oliver knew from their many late-nights-turned-early-mornings at the foundry that just the smell alone was comforting to her.

He stared at her peaceful form, taking in her disheveled hair and the traces of dirt still on her face from the nightmare back at the club. It felt like a lifetime since he had been down in that basement, feeling the panic coursing through his veins as he called out her name, preparing for the worst.

And then he saw Felicity lying there underneath that table… the only thing preventing that huge boulder from crushing her small body.

Oliver didn’t want to think about all the what if’s -- everything that could’ve happened had she waited an extra 5 seconds to leave and been crushed beneath a light beam, or if she’d decided to hide by the wall instead and ended up crushed underneath the stairs as they collapsed --

It was too much for his mind to handle.

Tommy was still very aware of his presence in the room, basically looming over Felicity as she slept, but his friend seemed to sense that he didn’t want to talk right now and Oliver appreciated that. Oliver knew that his relationship with Tommy was on shaky ground at the moment, but he couldn’t deny that even after 5 years away, Tommy was still one of the people who could read him better than anyone.

Diggle had left the room a few minutes ago to go call Laurel. Tommy wasn’t sure he wanted to speak to her but knew she deserved to know he was awake after the hours she spent here looking after him. After Digg had gone, Tommy turned on the television, in order to distract himself Oliver was sure, which left him currently lying in his bed on the other side of the hospital room flipping through channels on the TV... apparently not kidding about those soap operas.

However, Oliver could tell by the look in his eyes that Tommy wasn’t really seeing the screen in front of him, despite the weariness on his face signaling that his friend should be getting some rest, his mind was very much active and definitely elsewhere.

  
In the past 24 hours he’d learned that his father was responsible for a domestic terrorist attack on The Glades, almost lost the love of his life in said attack, and _then_ almost lost his own life saving her and ended up with severe injuries as a result.

Glancing over at his friend, Oliver tried to quell the anger threatening to bubble up at the thought of Malcolm. He spent practically his whole life trying to protect Tommy from him -- his neglectfulness, the emotional abuse, the blatant disregard for anything having to do with Tommy’s happiness -- and yet he’d never even seen the real threat Malcolm posed until it was too late.

Leaning back in the chair beside Felicity’s bed, Oliver tried to quiet his thoughts and adjust his body into a more comfortable position. He shifted his attention to the television Tommy was watching, hoping to distract himself. He couldn’t stop his eyes from flickering over to Felicity every few seconds though, half afraid that the moment he took them off her she’d disappear.

This panic that he was feeling was so foreign that Oliver didn't know what to do. He thought that once Felicity was out of Verdant and safe and receiving medical attention that his worry would abate, but it was now hours later and he still couldn't help but relive the terror he felt when he saw the wreckage of the club  _knowing_ that she was under there. When he and Digg brought her onto the team a few months ago, he had said they could protect her. Oliver had truly believed that. But after what happened at the foundry, Oliver realized he couldn't protect her from everything. This was too close a call. He hadn't expected to be so shaken up by this, and he wasn't sure how to process. 

Oliver closed his eyes for a long moment and sighed, realizing how tired he really was and wondering when the hell everything became so messy. He knew when he came back to Starling that things would be.. different, but he never _dreamed_ of dealing with something like a device designed to destroy the Glades.

_Then again, with everything I saw my 5 years away I shouldn’t be surprised._

Still, Oliver thought things would change when he came home. That he could somehow right his father’s wrongs and maybe make things _better._

But had he done that? Had he helped at all?

Looking around him and seeing two of the most important people in his life lying in hospital beds, the last thought Oliver remembers having is whether or not his return just made everything worse.

 

 

\--

 

 

The sound of Felicity’s quiet laughter is what wakes him.

Oliver hadn’t even realized he’d fallen asleep until he tried opening his eyes against the gritty evidence still trapped in the corners of his lids.

Raising his head slightly, Oliver could see Felicity and Tommy clearly making fun of whatever was currently playing on the hospital television, tossing comments back and forth, and even though he’s upset at himself for dozing off when he was supposed to be watching over his teammate, Oliver can’t deny that it stirs something in him to see her and Tommy getting along so well.

Tommy was busy shouting something at the TV -- apparently they had just found out some secret drug lord wasn’t someone's father but the… stepmother? -- and Felicity just shook her head and laughed telling him she had seen it coming.

“Well it’s a good thing you said no to that bet, Smoak, otherwise I’d be out 50 bucks right now.”

Felicity simply sassed him in response, feeling comfortable enough to do so, “You’re just lucky I’m a benevolent person, Merlyn, it would have been cruel to agree to a bet I knew I wouldn’t lose.”

“Never thought I’d hear those words coming out of the mouth of a girl raised in Vegas,” Tommy laughed back.

 _Wait, Tommy knows she grew up in Vegas?_ Oliver looked back and forth between his two friends. _How much did they talk about while I dozed off, it can’t have been that long…?_

Felicity chose to ignore Tommy’s pestering and turned to Oliver, finally acknowledging the fact that he was awake.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” she smiled softly.

“Hey,” Oliver replied, smiling briefly and sitting up, his eyes traveling over Felicity’s body no doubt checking her over to see if there was anywhere that still caused her pain.

Felicity knew that he was doing it purely in a clinical sense but that didn’t stop the blush from rising to her cheeks at the feel of his eyes on her.

That combined with the soft timbre of his voice from having just woke up… well, she was only human.

“How’re you feeling?” he asked, finally looking up at her face waiting for a response. Thankfully he didn’t notice her flushed face, or just chalked it up to whatever health issues she was still dealing with.

Felicity wasn’t even able to get out the words _I’m fine_ before hearing Tommy’s snickering from across the room. Oliver paid him no mind, thinking he was amused by something on the show they’d been watching, but she knew better.

...When Felicity had woken up just an hour before, it was to the feeling of Oliver’s _very asleep_ head resting dangerously high on her thigh -- but she didn’t have the heart to move him since she knew he hadn’t let himself sleep at all since before his fight with Malcolm, and she didn’t want to be the reason he deprived himself even more.

Even before the battle, they’d all been on edge knowing that Malcolm’s plan had been to destroy the Glades. They’d worked tirelessly to find out his plan and where he was keeping the devices. And of course Oliver had pushed himself the hardest. Especially once he found out his mom had been involved -- Felicity really felt for him. It was like no matter what he did Oliver just couldn’t catch a break.

So when she woke up to see Oliver looking more peaceful than she’d ever seen him, actually giving his mind and body some rest, well, she couldn’t help but want to offer any sort of comfort she could.

Even if that meant she was perpetually red-faced as long as his head stayed on that specific part of her leg.

Tommy had already been awake flipping through channels and when he noticed she was up as well he asked if she wanted him to call a nurse to come check on her. She quickly supplied a, “Nope, I’m fine!” (which she’ll admit was a little bit higher than her normal tone of voice) to which Tommy responded with a smirk as he eyed Oliver’s head on her leg. Thankfully he didn’t say anything though.

Eventually Oliver had shifted in his sleep so that his head was no longer resting on her thigh but on the mattress right next to her leg.

Finally feeling like she was able to let out a breath, Felicity found herself staring down at his face as he slept, silently cursing her own creepiness, yet still unable to help herself. She rarely ever saw Oliver so calm. Well, scratch that. He was calm a lot -- but it was a scary kind of calm. The kind of calm that hides a storm underneath its tranquil-looking facade yet waiting for just the right moment to explode and wreak its havoc.

This was different though. Her eyes traveled over his face, something that they did pretty often if she was honest with herself, he had to be completely oblivious to not notice her unabashed staring pretty much any time they were in close proximity to each other _especially_ when he was without a shirt. So it was safe to say she was very familiar with his features at this point.

But that didn’t mean she would ever get used to how beautiful he was. A strange word to describe a man so hardened and rough, but true nevertheless.

Felicity let her gaze drift from his closed eyelids covering those clear blue eyes she knew lay underneath to the dark eyebrows above them. Her gaze slid down to his nose, cheeks, and the lines of his chapped lips. Of course from there she couldn’t help but appreciate the stubble raining down the bottom of his face and that _strong_ jawline.

Felicity’s perusal of his completely unfair-looking face drew a sigh from her unconsciously -- snapping her back to attention. She couldn’t believe she was sitting there like some stalker just daydreaming about all the different parts of his _face_!

She quickly averted her gaze and looked anywhere but at the man so close to her, realizing Tommy had looked over when he heard her sigh and was now studying her with no small amount of amusement, as if he knew a secret she didn’t.

Afraid that he would make some kind of comment that would no doubt lead to her saying something utterly inappropriate -- Felicity said the first thing she could think of.

“So uh… what you did for Laurel before, that was, uh, really… nice?” ... _Nice. Really_ _Smoak?_ Of course her traitor of a mouth ended up saying the worst possible thing. 

Tommy just blinked at her for a second as he registered her words, surprised to find that he couldn’t help the laughter that spilled out of him even though she was basically saying that him risking his life to save someone who may not even love him back in the same way he loves her was… nice.

“Yeah well, then I guess what Ollie did for you was pretty nice too,” he said, smirking at Felicity.

Felicity immediately wanted to facepalm, her mouth was truly her worst enemy. “That’s not what I meant! I’m sorry. I meant that it was really brave of you, and you must care about her a lot to be willing to risk yourself like that. Especially after what happened.” _Oh my god stop talking Felicity_ , she had no business talking about his personal business like that! Though Tommy didn’t seem to be offended... He just looked pensive. Maybe he was _thinking_ about how offended he was? _Ugh god how do I always get myself into these situations--_

Tommy stared at the girl lying across from him, realizing she must be pretty close to Oliver if she knew the details about what happened between all of them. When he caught her staring at Oliver he could see the affection, which honestly might even be too mild a word to describe the intensity of the emotions flitting across her face, it was clear as day. Adoration, wonder, tenderness, warmth... those seemed more accurate. He wondered if she realized she had feelings for him yet. Tommy eyed Oliver’s form next to her on the bed and wondered if his friend knew what he was doing. Oliver had said he wasn’t in love with Laurel anymore, was this the reason why? But then again they did sleep together not even a week ago... and was he even fit for a relationship considering what he spent his nights doing?

Tommy also didn’t think Felicity realized the implication of her own words -- Oliver must clearly care about her _a lot_ as well, considering he saved her from being buried under Verdant. So if she did have any feelings, she definitely didn’t think they were reciprocated on his end.

Tommy decided to stop obsessing over the love life of the girl sitting across from him and looked back up at Felicity to see that she was definitely beating herself up about whatever she had said to him. Poor girl, he’d been silent in his thoughts for so long she probably thought she had upset him. He decided to put her out of her misery, though Laurel _was_ something he’d rather not talk about at the moment.

“It’s okay, I mean, you’re not wrong,” Tommy chuckled but it lacked humor. “To be honest though, I’d really rather not think about everything that’s happened recently.”

A switch seemed to have flicked somewhere in Felicity’s mind and it was like she understood exactly what he meant. Suddenly the awkward, unsure girl vanished. “Yeah well, I wasn’t kidding about those soap operas… but I’m sure I could make an exception for a sickly man such as yourself,” she was clearly teasing him and Tommy appreciated her attempt at making the situation lighter. He realized it was exactly what he needed at the moment… to feel normal. As normal as he could at the moment, anyway. He suddenly found himself wanting to be her friend for some strange reason.

“Alright, well maybe a few hours of the highest quality trashy television will change your mind yet,” he winked, reaching for the remote in order to turn on the TV. “But, if we’re going to be hospital roomies, we should really get to know each other a little better. Who exactly is Felicity Smoak... IT Girl extraordinaire?”

Felicity smiled over at Tommy, for some reason feeling oddly at ease in their conversation. It seemed like an unspoken rule that there be no mention of Laurel and absolutely _no_ vigilante talk.

It was just two people… with a mutual friend, learning more about each other and maybe forming a friendship for themselves.

Felicity decided she could use a friend right now... and so she met Tommy halfway.

“Well, I bet you wouldn’t believe it Merlyn, but I was actually born in Vegas…” eyes twinkling at Tommy’s shocked expression, Felicity told him a little about what it was like growing up in Vegas, and eventually going to MIT -- something he confessed he wasn’t at all shocked to hear. In return, he told her about growing up with Oliver and all the trouble they would get into together. She also learned that he lost his mom at a young age, something she’d already known but had really appreciated hearing from him, and how the Queens basically became his second family. Moira, Robert, and especially Thea had welcomed him with open arms.

Felicity found herself pleasantly surprised at how easy it was talking to him, and how fun their banter was. Before she knew it, a few hours had passed, and they spent that time watching awful TV mocking every ridiculous plot twist and scandalous love affair. 

 

This was how Oliver found them when he woke up, and as Felicity looked over at Oliver she could tell he was surprised at the easy camaraderie that had formed between his two unlikely friends. She wasn’t sure if he was angry about it though… he didn’t really look too happy at the moment.

But then he had asked how she was feeling and his eyes and his voice did that thing where they made her body all warm and tingly and Tommy had snickered like an idiot... and now Oliver was looking at her so intensely she didn’t know what to do with herself.

Felicity managed another response, this one stronger than the last, wanting to assure Oliver that she really was fine.

He was visibly relieved by her answer, probably thinking that there was a possibility she had some kind of complication that the doctors hadn’t caught. She was definitely still in copious amounts of pain, sure, and breathing was a bitch, but honestly with Oliver next to her she hardly noticed those things. And maybe if she had more time she would go back and analyze why that was, but right now she was only concerned with making sure Oliver believed she was fine so that she could make sure he was fine. What a vicious cycle their lives were.

“You’re sure you’re fine? I could call a nurse in here just to double-check, you never know--”

“Oliver. I’m okay.” She reached over and grabbed his hand, “How about you? You were out for a while, are you sure you don’t want to go sleep in an _actual_ bed and get some real rest?” Felicity knew even before Oliver narrowed his eyes that her words were futile, but she had to at least try.

“I’m not even going to respond to that, because if you think I’m leaving this room you’re wrong.” Oliver leaned toward Felicity as his voice lowered a bit, “So if you’re not going to let me go get a nurse, you can just sit back and enjoy my pleasant company, since I won’t be going anywhere.” _Wow when did his face get so close_ , Felicity’s eyes widened a little as she stared into his own, but she couldn’t help the smile that surfaced at his words. Oliver’s promise to stay with her meant more than he could know.

“Well, it’s a good thing you’ll be sticking around, Ollie, I was just about to introduce Smoaky here to the world of telenovelas.” Felicity forgot Tommy was in the room for a whole two minutes and jumped at the sound of his voice, though of course Oliver wasn’t startled in the least. Here she was sporting a blush because of what? Clearly Oliver was just being… Oliver. And here she was reading too much into it as always. He just smiled at her, leaned back in his seat and moved his gaze over to the TV that Tommy was gesturing towards.

Tommy, on his part, was smirking on the outside but on the inside he was baffled. Was Oliver… _flirting_ with Felicity? Did he even realize he was doing it? He wanted to laugh at the look on Felicity’s face though. She had it _bad_ and she didn’t even know it.

“Well you’re in for a treat. Telenovelas combine all the drama you know and love from American soap operas with the lovely, foreign Spanish language. Plus, the girls are a lot hotter.” Pressing the button on the remote, Tommy leaned back and tried not to focus on the two people talking quietly to each other on the other side of the room. He really hoped Oliver knew what he was doing.

Felicity knew this particular telenovela that Tommy had put on, she’d actually watched a few episodes because a college friend of hers loved it back at MIT. By the look on his face, though, Oliver clearly didn’t know what was going on, so she moved closer to him to explain a little bit of the plot for him to follow along.

“So basically, this girl was _accidentally_ artificially inseminated with the doctor’s brother’s sperm, who by the way, had cancer so that was pretty much his only chance at having a biological child, but the girl is actually a virgin! She’s never had sex before so that’s what makes this even crazier. And she’s also engaged to this other guy who she loves, but she’s starting to have feelings for the father of her child and things are basically really confusing at the moment.”

“You’re kidding." Oliver just stared back at her and laughed out loud when he realized Felicity was being serious. "Wow. Okay, so..” Oliver tried to follow along what was happening on the screen, his eyebrows scrunching up a bit as he genuinely tried to concentrate. It very well may have been the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

“Wait!” Felicity realized she was staring again and looked to the TV to see what he was pointing at, and remembered this as a really cute scene between the baby’s father and the main girl. “He’s gotta have feelings for her right? I mean it’s so obvious by the way he looks at her.” Oliver turned to look at her for confirmation. Felicity just laughed, “Yeah, you’re right he does.”

Looking back at the show, Oliver kept watching. “But does she have feelings for him too? I mean she’s engaged. And she seems to really love the other guy. I think she should stick with him.”

Felicity was surprised Oliver was getting so into it. “Well, I’ll tell you what I think. I think she has feelings for the baby's father as well, and she wants to take the risk, because she’s been playing it safe her whole life. I think the main reason she’s staying with her fiancee is because he’s familiar and it's the safe choice. But the baby’s father is hiding his feelings for her, because he doesn’t think he’s good enough for her. He thinks his life is too crazy and that he’s not fit to be in a relationship with her.”

Oliver seemed to agree with this line of thinking, “Good. I bet she is too good for him. And if he really loves her, he would want her to be safe.”

“Well that’s not his decision to make, it’s hers. What if they’re meant to be, Oliver? And the both of them will never realize how happy they could be together because he never even gave her a choice!”

Oliver didn’t respond to that, he just turned to her with an odd look on his face. Truthfully, she didn’t know why she was getting so worked up about this. She remembers back in college she had rooted for the baby’s father as well, firmly believing that it was the riskier choice but ultimately the one that would bring the most happiness. He probably thought she was crazy for getting so passionate over fictional characters.

Feeling embarrassed, Felicity tried to shrug it off. “...I mean, they’re not even real so, who really cares right?” Her laughter was very clearly forced though, alerting Oliver to the fact that he must have offended her in some way, and immediately felt bad seeing as that wasn’t his intention. He realized as Felicity kept talking that she really believed in what she was saying. For some reason, Oliver thought Felicity would have been the kind of person to choose the guy who was safe and dependable, rather than risk something that could potentially be devastating.

Yet thinking about everything he learned about Felicity in the past year, Oliver realized there was so much he still didn’t know about her… and he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Reaching over, he took hold of her hand and did his best to ease her worries. “No I think it’s great that you’ve thought about this so much. I mean, who knows, maybe you’re right.” He flashed her an easy smile, and the troubled look on her face faded away. She smiled back and they went back to watching the novela, only making a few comments here and there. It was as if both of them silently agreed to simply sit back and wait to see what would happen.  

They got through a whole episode and a half before Felicity realized her hand was still in his.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So clearly, they're growing closer :) Everything from here on out is AU so I'm trying to develop their relationship realistically without all of season 2 and 3, so that's a little tough. But I hope I can keep it organic and still interesting. Also fun fact, the "novela" they're watching is actually a rough description of Jane the Virgin (I binge watched it the past few days and thought it would be funny to throw in.) Thanks for reading! :)


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